Stockton Mine: Bad news will hit West Coast communities hard

The Buller community will be relieved that the Stockton Mine will continue to be operated by Solid Energy following today’s restructuring announcement, Labour’s MP for West Coast-Tasman Damien O’Connor says.

“My thoughts go out to the 113 miners who will lose their jobs.

“These people have, in some cases, left other careers to commit their lives to the West Coast and now face the prospect of having to start again.

“My sympathy also goes to those miners who have been maintaining the Spring Creek mine but could now be made redundant.

“The West Coast has been hit hard by a company that was set up for sale by the National Government, squeezed for dividends and left unsustainable because it didn’t anticipate falling coal prices.

“Numerous mistakes have been made at governance and management levels by a company that lost touch with its core mining operations.

“I am absolutely committed to working with local community leaders – and wherever possible Government Ministers– to create alternate job opportunities and keep families in the Buller,” Damien O’Connor says.

Selwyn Manning, BCS (Hons.) MCS (Hons.) is an investigative political journalist with 23 years media experience. He specializes in reportage and analysis of socioeconomics, politics, foreign affairs, and security/intelligence issues.
Selwyn has extensive experience as a commentator and has provided live political analysis to a wide range of television and radio organizations broadcasting in New Zealand, Australia and globally including the BBC (Five Live, London) and BBC (World Service). He is currently a correspondent to Australia's FiveAA radio, and is a regular live-on-air panelist on Radio New Zealand's The Panel with broadcaster Jim Mora.